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Photo by Rena Laverty
Evan Barratt (Bristol, Pa.) scored the only goal for the U.S. National Under-18 Team in a 3-1 loss to the Youngstown Phantoms in a game played Saturday afternoon at the Covelli Centre.
The U18s had a five-game winning streak snapped but is 13-6-0-0 since Nov. 1. Team USA (U17s and U18s) is now 9-13-1-1 in the United States Hockey League action.
The U18s outshot Youngstown, 7-4, in the first period, but the Phantoms scored the only goal of the frame. Max Ellis passed the puck from behind the Team USA goal and found Evan Wisocky at the hashmarks. Wisocky snapped a shot past U18s goaltender Dylan St. Cyr (Northville, Mich.) at 16:20 for his fourth goal of the season.
Team USA was credited with just two shots in the second period, but tied the game at 1-1 at the 10:11 mark. David Farrance (Victor, N.Y.) held the puck at the right point and shoveled it into traffic at the hashmarks. Barratt won a puck battle and redirected it past Phantoms' goaltender Ivan Kulbakov to tie the game with his eighth of the season.
Ellis set up the eventual winner for Youngstown at 5:03 of the third period, carrying the puck into the U18 zone on the left wing a fed the puck to the right circle to Nicolas Werbik, who scored his team-leading 11th of the season.
Trailing, 2-1, late in the game, U18s head coach John Wroblewski (Neenah, Wis.) pulled St. Cyr for the extra attacker, but Coale Norris scored on the empty net at 19:10 to finish the scoring.
Youngstown is 17-9-2-1, has a six-game winning streak and is 10-1-2-0 since Nov. 18.
The U18s outshot Youngstown, 16-14.
The U18s hit the road next weekend, playing at the University of Maine next Friday and at New England University on Saturday, Jan. 7.
The U.S. National Under-17 Team returns home to USA Hockey Arena next weekend, hosting Chicago on Friday at 7 p.m. ET and Youngstown at Saturday, Jan. 7 at 7 p.m. ET.